Curiosity
by Urufu-chan
Summary: ItaFoxy!FemNaru. They say Curiosity killed the cat. Well, does it apply if they're a fox? After living in the forests of Konoha for so long, can Naru adapt to village life? Even with the help of a certain elder Uchiha?
1. Some Luck

**IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE: (Well, it contains information on the story you need to know.) P.S. I don't own Naruto THNKUVRYMCH _**

**OHAIYO! I'm Urufu-chan, (Or Urufu, Ururu-tan, Uru-tan, Wolf, Kitsune-chan, Kodora-chan, Kate, Katie, Rachel and to some people, Garden Gnome. But only two certain people can call me that. *glare* You know who you are.) And this is my first fanfiction, So be gentle, please. *whimper*. It's a Kyuu!FemNaruIta, which mainly means it's a Kyuubi-influenced-female-Naruto-whos-romantic-interest-is-Itachi. So don't say I didn't warn you. Don't like, Dont Read. The Kyuubi will have attacked Four years EARLIER, making Naruto (A.K.A. Naru), 16 years old while everyone else is the same age as in cannon. Got it? Itachi did not kill his clan in this fic, but keep in mind that they are still dead. This is somewhat of a prolouge/chapter so bare while me here. All will be explained in due time.**

**::I don't own Naruto:**

**So without further a do,**

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One would say Itachi was a lucky man. He was skilled, handsome, an Uchiha (not to mention one of the surviving ones)... oh yes. Itachi was quite blessed.

Praised as a genius practically since birth, the elder Uchiha had almost everything he wanted handed to him. He was adored by women (and some men),revered by his senseis and such, but this attention had a downfall. Put into constant pressure by other's expectations, he had no time to enjoy these luxuries as he had to grow up, and fast. Along with being in ANBU at a young, tender age, he became emotionless, closed-off; trying to push some of the attention off him and on to his younger brother, Sasuke.

It only got worse as the Great Uchiha Massacre occurred, narrowing the once large and prosperous clan down to only two members, literally overnight. All the attention was placed on the two, nearly driving Itachi insane. He wanted none of this. Already partially bitter from having his childhood taken, he grew more and more distant, and his comrades were worried. Not that they would ever say it to his face of course.

Sometimes Itachi would just-run off somewhere into the massive forests surrounding Konoha, taking some time to get away from said death-trap village. It calmed him, the peace and quiet of the lonely forests, the animals being the only things around him. It gave the Uchiha time to relax and clear his mind, forgetting about his stressed life-style. He enjoyed the forest so much because there was no one but him, and to him that was what was most important at times like these. He was content, until he felt another presence.

Now, Unlike a certain Uchiha, one Uzumaki Naruto was not lucky.

Having the Kyuubi sealed into her as a child led to a series on events that triggered something inside the blond female, leading her to flee from the village into the dense forests around it. The forest was more of a home then the ratty old apartment she used to live in ever was, providing a safe haven for her to grow in, along with a certain tenet's help.

The Kyuubi helped her, trained her, made her strong for the long, harsh life she was living. The Kyuubi essentially turned Naruto into one of her own, forcing enough of her yokai into the girl to alter her DNA. The girl willingly took the change her "Kaa-san" was giving to her, thereby turning the girl from human...to hanyou.

She lived a good ten years in the forest, making it her own, protecting it. Although she fled from Konoha, she harbored no hatred for the village. Just distrust. As a result, it's not surprising that when bandits or rogue shinobi went through her forest to get to the village, or was fleeing from it, shinobi chasing him/her might stumble upon a clearing where said perpetrator would be knocked out or even dead.

On rare occasions, people might accidentally wander into her forest, lost. Naruto either helped them get out, or to be blunt about it, killed them if they were a threat. Once people had gotten out of the forest, they usually never came back. Usually.

There was one, who always came back. Naruto observed him from a distance, close enough that see could see him yet far away enough that she couldn't make out any details. He made his way into her forest like it was his, going there so often he knew it like the back of his hand. This infuriated her beyond comprehension. She wanted him out, but the inhabitants of the forest enjoyed his company, a concept she could never grasp. He was an intruder right?

Even though in Naruto's mind he was trespassing, Itachi never did any harm to the forest or the life in it. Naruto, being distrusting of the village and all it's shinobi, was paranoid about the teen, thinking that one day he would snap and destroy her home. Which is why today, when said teen was seething as he entered the forest, she took... extra precautions.

Itachi heard a rustle in the leaves, and his shinobi training would not let him disregard it. He stood up from the tree he was sitting against and calmly navigated through the forest to a nearby creek casually. If he was being followed, he would be able to determine how far away they were. IF he was being followed of course.

And indeed he was as he heard the telltale rustle of leaves again, this time closer. He smirked. Whoever was following him was good; the rustle could have easily been passed of as the wind if it not for his time in ANBU. As he walked a bit more, he suddenly jerked around and expertly launched a kunai in the direction of the rustles, narrowly missing his target. The kunai embedded it's self in a the tree, only to be pulled out soon after by an exasperated Itachi. As he was getting up he noticed a few strange markings along the tree bark. Crouching down, he ran his fingers over the grooves in the tree shaped like claw marks. He looked around before smirking once more and leaping from tree to tree in order to exit the forest.

Behind a tree not to far away, Naruto was panting, her heart pounding in her chest. In reality, the kunai had nicked her, she noticed as she felt the warm blood gently dripping from a slit on her arm. Licking the blood up in order to close the wound she stared back at the stop were Itachi had just been in fascination. She saw the look on his face as he threw the kunai. Aside from the earlier smirk, he seemed emotionless; like a machine. This intrigued her. How could someone be like that? In all her years she had never seen a shinobi act so cold. Was it his rank? What was it?

Cleaning up the last of the blood she dusted herself off and tilted her head to the side. Hmm. A mischievious smile slowly spread across her face. This man...she was definatly going to look into this.

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**Okay so... how did you like it? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!!! (I know it's short, but like I said, it's sorta like a prolouge.)**


	2. Breaking In

**Hey! It's me Urufu-chan again! I'm back with chapter 2, but first I must thank my reviewers. (I'm still surprised I got 11 reviews. O.o I was expecting like, 3.)**

**THANK YOU SO MUCH:**

**Imperial Mint, Timewatcher, Berserkerofhell, shadowzerover5, crazyness101, Raven Marcus, Azura Ray, Ruusei Akira Kiri6, Stargazer, FlyingHigh13. And a special thanks to: Arcade, for helping me come up with the reason for the Uchiha massacre, THANK YOU!**

**So here I go with my awful chapter (I honestly hate my writting, it's so bland and icky.)**

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Itachi sat on his bed, stiff muscles aching in protest as he shifted uncomfortably. He rubbed his should tenderly, cursing quietly when the muscle throbbed back at him. He sighed, leaning back on the soft mattress, thinking of the past week.

First he thought back to the day he first sensed the stranger. Later that evening, while he was polishing his weapons, he noticed the small amount of blood that had pooled in the corner of the kunai. The blood was already dried and flaky, making him wonder why. It couldn't have from another day, or body he added dryly, because he prided himself on handling his weapons with great care, cleaning them anytime he got the chance. He noticed when he put his thumb over the blood, instead of being cold like the rest of the kunai; it was fairly warm, like fresh blood.

After that day, he returned to the forest, and to his surprise, he could sense the person near him again. Much like the first day, he ended up chasing after them, dodging trees and throwing kunai and shuriken into the dense foliage. This happened the next day also, and the next, and the next. It was safe to say he had developed a sort of game with this person, but it was more of a competitive desire to catch the unnamed stranger.

For nearly the whole week, he had gone back to the forest, getting closer and closer to catching them each time. Something drove him, a fierce determination to catch the shadow that had been in his dreams. Alas, the last two day he was on a mission and returned to late to consider pursuing the stranger. He went straight home, plopping down uncharacteristically onto his bed; the events of the week finally getting to him. The missions, the chases, all took a toll on him, yet for the first time in a while, the soreness of his body didn't bother him as much as it used to.

The stranger haunted his thoughts, creeping in when he least expected it, hanging over him like a dark cloud. He yearned to put a name and face together, but he could not ever get close enough. He sighed again, concluding that said person must be female, for they were too troublesome to be male.

Stretching a pale, muscular arm out, he flicked the lamp light off, bathing the room in darkness. He left his window open; allowing the moonlight to flood inside, giving whatever it touched a soft white glow. The stars were twinkling brightly this night, as if they were laughing at him, laughing at his misfortune.

A soft knock came from the door, echoing in the large room. "Come in." he said in his usual monotone, covering up the fact that he was in pain. The door inched open, and in came a tired-looking Sasuke, bags under his eyes, shoulders slumped. He held the door open with one hand, half in and half out of the room, as if he was just there to say a few words. He was silent for a moment, as to which Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Sasuke?" Sasuke stood there still, opening and closing his mouth to get the feel of the words he was trying to say. He unconsciously clenched and unclenched his hands, nervous. Itachi was never one for patience, so after a moment of silence he finished for his brother, "Good night Sasuke."

Sasuke looked up in alarm, not expecting his brother's voice to ring out so finally in the silence. He looked down to the floor, sweating. "Yeah, good night Aniki." He nearly croaked out, but his voice was small, with the slightest bit of reluctance in it. He padded out of the room, frustrated. He was usually proud and demanding, but when faced with his brother he felt weak. Looking into those emotionless dark grey eyes stilled him, driving out any courage he had.

Itachi looked at the door after Sasuke left for a moment, before lying back in the neat jumble of blankets that was his bed and deciding that whatever Sasuke wanted to ask or tell him could wait till morning.

Soundless footsteps covered the ground with practiced precision, not leaving any signs behind. Naruto slunk into the Uchiha compound as a shadow, stepping along the walls and abandoned houses scattered around. Old lamps and fans shifted in the breeze, blowing the faint scent of dried blood around. Naruto wrinkled her nose is disgust, placing a clawed hand over her nose and mouth to block out the sickening smell. She looked around, taking in the eeriness of it all, realizing these houses must have seen more bloodshed than she herself.

The blonde decided it was safe to pick up the speed a little, moving in a soft trot around the compound. The moonlight cast long shadows of the girl running, the only notification that she was even there, for was one to look they would have seen nothing. Maneuvering around aimlessly, she admitted she was a little lost, until finally, she came upon one of the largest homes, decorated with large blue banners with the Uchiha symbol sewn into them. This house admittedly didn't smell strongly of the blood, she guessed it had something to do with the fact there were people actually living it in, therefore they must constantly clean it.

Slinking around the house she peered into the house from a window, absentmindedly searching for something in the inky darkness. She hopped mutely inside, looking around at the temperature-controlled environment. It was lightly furnished, not many useless knick-knacks that most families had lying around. She carefully stepped onto the textured flooring, uncomfortably moving around the dark house on the balls of her feet, ready to spring to action at a moment's notice. Her blue eyes scanned the room, locking on a shelf planted on an opening to a hallway. She reached up and took a hold of a light-wooded frame, taking in the picture trapped behind the glass.

It was one of the intruder of her forest, who she dubbed a weasel for bearing a striking resemblance to a personality of one in her opinion, and his family it seemed, all together for a portrait. She studied them closely; the eldest male she guessed was the father looked stern, almost bored. The female looked happy, her hand resting on a little boy's shoulder who was slightly smiling, and then there was the weasel. He was off to the side, close enough to be in the photo, but far away enough to seem as if he wasn't exactly part of the family. He looked a little younger than what she had seen in the forest, but still nearly emotionless.

Naruto furrowed her brow in confusion while putting the frame back down with a small "thunk". She looked around in a panic, wondering if anyone had heard the soft sound. There was silence. She found herself more paranoid from that little sound then when she came in, taking even lighter steps down the hallway now. With every inch of space she covered she could feel herself getting claustrophobic, feeling as though the darkness was closing in around her. She started to sweat, her vision blurring. Putting a hand on the wall to remind herself of the space she had, she continued, feeling the soft texture of the wall which suddenly dipped into a door. She nearly fell over, the door opening with a slight squeak that made her heart stop.

Shuffling of bed sheets was heard, then the deathly silence of the night resumed.

Naruto put her head through the crack in the door, scanning the inky-black bedroom, before laying her eyes on a small mound curled up in sheets on the bed. Naruto gripped her hand on the edge of the door, pushing it gently open so she could get in. The door squeaked in protest again, making the mound shuffle around and face towards her. She clutched the edge of the door tightly, waiting for the person in the mound to spot her, but it just continued sleeping, mumbling incoherently in their dreams.

She softly made her way to the bed, peaking at the person bundled in the sheets. The comforter was draped over their face, so she hesitantly leaned over the person and flicked the comforter aside with a claw. The person mumbled lazily some more before their eyes slowly fluttered open. The fox girl recognized the person; it was the boy in the picture she had recently seen, although he was much older. Naruto's heart stilled again, this time in shock as the boy looked at her with blank, sleepy eyes before rolling over, his hair falling into his face.

Naruto slowly backtracked towards the door, putting her hands slightly in front of her in a defensive position. She pushed the door aside and closed it softly behind her, wincing as it clicked shut. Her eyes wide, heart racing, she mentally thanked whatever good god was out there for not letting the smaller boy wake up and see her fully. Taking deep breaths, she backed away from the door and down the hall once more, letting herself be engulfed into the shadows. Her back bumped against another textured door, clicking in place as it was already closed. She whirled around quickly, and stared at the door with wide eyes as if it was the death god coming to take her soul. After a few excruciating moments of silence, she reached forward and grasped the knob with her fingertips. Slowly rotating the knob she pressed herself against it, pushing it into the hinges to mute any sound that may erupt from the squeaky door as it did with the last.

The door flew open smoothly without a sound, letting the moonlight that was flooding into the room stream into the hallway, blessing the dark artifacts with the same white glow. Unlike the other room, this was much larger and the light source only helped reinforce it. The bed was pushed closer to the window, and the figure in it could be easily defined as a man, rather than a mound. Naruto crept up next to the bed like she did with the last, and balanced on the balls of her feet in order to get a better look.

And there he was.

It was her so-called weasel sleeping peacefully in the bed, his face relaxed rather than set in the emotionless stone she hated so. He was extremely handsome, pale flawless skin with long dark hair; usually pull into a pony tail, which flowed over the pillows. He also had two lines under his eyes, what she could only assume were stress lines.

She had followed him ever since that day in the forest, trying to learn more about him through his actions. She had to admit she enjoyed the game they made out of it, and when he didn't show up those two days, she was slightly hurt. She was determined to find out why he was so emotionless, what made him that way, and if there were others like him. The blonde decided that if he wasn't going to go to her willingly, she was going to have to make him.

Her eyes scanned the room, looking for something, anything really that sparked her interest. Soon she let out a low, almost mute growl of frustration at not being able to find anything. The fox girl was just about to give up when she noticed the moonlight reflecting off something on the nightstand, hidden slightly behind the lamp. Picking it up, she noticed that it was a necklace, held together with a thin black leather cord. The triple silver necklace shone brightly, the moonlight reflecting off of it and bouncing around the walls as she twirled the smooth circles in her hands. On the back of the middle piece, she noticed that there was something etched into it, twisting along the outer edge of the piece. _Itachi, _she realized was carved into it, as she looked between the necklace and said teenager, deducing that the necklace must be of some importance to him if he had his name craved into it.

And now that she thought about it... yes, the wea- Itachi had been wearing something around his neck the last few times she's seen him. It's perfect, she thought, he was a smart boy, he would figure it out. Casting a slight smirk in his direction Naruto gripped the necklace tightly and stalked out of the open window quietly, looking over her shoulder too check on Itachi's condition. Still sound asleep; she took one last look at him before hopping out the window and slinking from behind the building and into the clearing in front of the house, in plain sight. Reminding herself that this is why she hated being in homes and the village in general, she took steady deep breaths to calm herself from her earlier panic, and without looking back she took off once more to her sanctuary, her home.

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**So that was the 2nd chapter! It was a little longer, and I'll try to make the next even longer 'kay? So REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! Come on people! Please? You don't even have to have an account to review so why not??? PLEASE? (*sigh* sorry for spazzing, but what can I say? I'm a review-holic.)**


	3. It's Gone, Now I'm Out for Blood

**Okay, I'm thankful for the postitive feedback, and I'm glad so many people are interested in this story. I seriously thought this was going to set off a bunch of flamers, but eh, I'm still waiting for one. I know for a fact my writting is horrible, and I have to swallow a lump in my throat everytime I get that email saying that someone has reviewed. It's extremely stressful for me, sigh.**

**THANK YOU REVIEWERS:**

**Arcade, schnookums, EDelta88, Pepe, tora17, Tachi Kagahara, Imperial Mint, devil4y, tsnade2, Blue Kitsune, Snush, Stargazer, Beserkerofhell, shadowzerover5 Thank you!**

**Here's Chapter 3.**

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The crisp, clean morning wind swirled around the trees of Konohagakure, rustling the lightly painted leaves of autumn. It was still early in the season, the air just beginning to chill and the leaves starting to fall. The soft sunlight of the early hours bathed the peaceful city, streaming into homes and buildings that allowed it.

This was what Itachi Uchiha awoke to, as he did every morning. Sitting up against the dark wood headboard of his bed, he gazed out the window pointlessly, taking in the scenery he's seen a thousand times before. It was slightly monotonous to him, while most would find it breath-taking or charming even, he only saw the same thing each day, the village having painted itself grey in his eyes.

He stifled a yawn, for proper Uchiha's do not yawn, and stretched out an arm and felt around his nightstand... only to find something was missing. He snapped his head around, and just as he thought, something WAS missing. His eyes sharply scanned the stand and the ground around it, searching for a glimmer or an outline of a cord, but spotted nothing. He narrowed his eyes dangerously, his Sharingan flaring to life.

The teen threw his sheets carelessly aside, stepping out of bed heavily. Itachi stormed over to the door of his room and yanked it open, nearly soundlessly but with enough force to make it look like it was going to fall off at the hinge. He managed to keep a somewhat cool head as he marched through the halls of the estate, his feet stomping against the textured floor with a satisfying thump. He kept his chin up and back straight in a composed manor, his face set in the emotionless stone we all know, but his fists were curled at his side, his nails digging into his palms.

Sasuke was surprised that he had actually woken up before his brother, but considering the state he was in the night before, it didn't take a genius to realize Itachi was completely exhausted. Sure Sasuke might have been quite tired himself, but he could tell his brother a nearly falling off at the seams. He took another bite out of his rice ball, clearing his mind for a moment before said brother came, practically stomping into the kitchen where Sasuke was enjoying his breakfast.

The former was certainly surprised at his brother's disheveled state, still in his sleepwear which consisted of his boxers and a large plain shirt, hair still down and obviously unbrushed, and he had one of the coldest glares direacted at him. Sasuke shuddered at the glare he was being given, slowly finishing chewing what was left of the rice ball in his mouth. His surprise increase only when the latter said-no-all but growled out in a very un-Itachi way,

"Where is my necklace?"

.

Naruto on the other hand was basking in the glory of the sun, stretched out in a clearing while leaning on a smooth rock. She enjoyed the warmth the sun gave her, and since the weather was getting colder it was good that she enjoy it while she could. Her fluffy crimson foxtail wrapped around her torso comfortably, also trying to get in so some of the heat.

She sighed contently before reaching up a hand to her neck, fingering the necklace she stole last night. It was a nice necklace, and the fox girl didn't want to ruin it so she placed it safely around her neck, where her long golden hair framed it nicely. She idly wondered if she had chosen to steal the right thing. Was he looking for it? Did he even know it was gone? Well, he was bound to notice something was missing, but would her figure out it was her who took it?

Last night Naruto had assumed that he would figure it out... but now thinking about it, how would he? She had heard that the last to Uchiha's were geniuses, but she wasn't so sure, considering she had heard most of her information from civilians and ninja who tended to gossip around the boarders. And then, the worst case-scenario popped into her head.

Did he even care?

.

Contrary to Naruto's paranoia towards Itachi's necklace, the latter was indeed raising hell about it in the Uchiha household. After Sasuke stated he wasn't sure where it was, Itachi had stormed off back to his room, practically tearing it apart in search of the necklace's whereabouts. Sasuke followed after him, blinking at his brother's strange behavior. Even though he seemed calm in appearance, anyone who knew Itachi could tell the man was fuming. His hands were balled up into fists, his Sharingan was active, his arms were slightly shaking and his posture a little too perfect and upright, and because of him still being in his sleepwear, you could tell all his muscles were tensed up. Sasuke knew it was probably best not be around him, lest something set him off and cause him to strangle the nearest person, so he kept his distance but he was still close enough to follow his brother around.

Itachi gripped the edge of his nightstand dangerously, so hard in fact the wood began to splint and bend under the force. The man turned to his younger brother, seemingly emotionless yet Sasuke flinched. Itachi made his way somewhat calmly to the kitchen, Sasuke following him in wonder. He then placed himself in a chair and leaned his elbows onto the table top and rested his eyes in the palms of his hands. He let out a strangled sigh, causing Sasuke to raise an eyebrow at him. The boy plopped into the chair across from him and picked up the half-eaten rice ball he had left in pursuit of the elder Uchiha. While he was eating he took the chance to study and man before him, growing worried when he didn't move a muscle in a long time. Clearing his throat, Sasuke decided it was best for him to distract his older brother from his plight.

"So, did you dream of anything last night?" Sasuke asked off-handedly, munching on his rice ball. Itachi shifted his left hand so that his eye was visible, and glared at Sasuke, clearly telling him to shut up. Sasuke noticed that his Sharingan was no longer active, so that must be a good sign. "I had a strange dream last night myself." he continued.

Itachi only grunted.

"I dreamt of this girl." Itachi, despite his efforts to remain angry, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at his brother's dream.

"Is that so?" He said in an uncaring voice, but Sasuke smirked all the same. If Itachi asked questions, he was interested, regardless of his tone. He just didn't humor people; he found it a waste of time.

"Yes. She was beautiful too. Though it was dark, so I couldn't really make out exactly what she looked like."

"Hn."

"Long hair, piercing blue eyes, pointed ears" He ignored Itachi's surprised look, "and she was hovering over me..."

"Is my otouto turning into a pervert?"

"Please," Sasuke scoffed, "it wasn't like that. And besides she was holding up her hand in front of my face and the fingers were strangely shaped. I couldn't tell because it was dark, but they were more... pointed at the fingertips."

Itachi furrowed his brow slightly, thinking about his little brother's dream. He may not show it often, but he loved his little brother immensely. Pointed finger tips, he thought, maybe long finger nails? No. Pointed ears? Maybe, claws? An image suddenly flashed in his head, a week ago exactly when he retrieved his kunai from the tree and examined the bark, where it had been scratched up. His eyes shot open quickly as Sasuke started in surprise.

The teen got up from the table and dashed over too his brother's room, surveying the room for any damage. He saw none, except for the jumbled mess of sheets he always left in the morning. Everything was basically intact, clean, just like it always was. He got closer to the bed and scanned the sheets closely, when he noticed something peculiar on the white pillows. He picked up the offending object, and in an off tone said to Sasuke,

"You wouldn't happen to be keeping any pets now would you?" Sasuke jumped a bit from his position at the door. He wasn't expecting Itachi to even know he was there, so preoccupied with searching his bed. Sasuke blinked a few times that walked up to his brother, leaning over the taller man's shoulder to look at a medium-sized piece of red fur.

Itachi turned quickly and shrugged his brother off, moving to the window and sliding his hands across the sill. There was still dust on it, so they couldn't have come from the window, the dust would have blown away some. A sharp knocking brought him out of his stupor. He glared in the direction of the sound, coming from the front door of the house hold, before turning around once more and having his eyes widen slightly in shock. Sasuke looked at his older brother in question, following his eyes to the door of his room, and gasping a bit at what he saw.

Along the doors edge were five small scratch marks, each one varying in size and depth. The wood was broken and splint, if only slightly, it looked as if someone had gripped it tightly. Itachi growled. He didn't want to deal with this right now; he just wanted his necklace back. There was the sharp knocking again, and he growled even louder, storming off to the front door. Sasuke stayed behind and ran his fingers along the scratches; how the hell had he missed that? Was he that blind when he was sleepy?

Itachi on the other hand, had just thrown open the door, nearly smacking the knocker on their face. "What?!" He snarled, not in the mood. The knocker was frozen in mid knock, hand balled up in a fist halfway to the door. She blinked once. Twice, before glaring back up at the elder Uchiha.

"Itachi what was that for?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips. Her dark eyes narrowed dangerously, expecting an explanation. She was quite a sight, puffed up red cheeks and all with two fang-like tattoos on either side. Itachi sighed heatedly.

"Hana now is not the best time." The female Inuzuka just shrugged and pushed past the man and enter the house, plopping herself down on the couch.

"Oh why ever not, mighty Uchiha?" She mocked, rolling her wrists towards him and bowing as best one could while draped over a couch. Itachi grew a small tick mark on his head, but shrugged it off. There was no way he was going to kill his best friends today, even though he sure was in a shitty mood. Hana suddenly perked up, smelling the air. "Did you get a pet? Or pests? It smells weird in here." Itachi could've face palmed. Of course! He should have just asked Hana in the first place.

"Actually, I lost my necklace." Hana's eyes grew wide at this. "I think someone may have stolen it." He crossed his arms and looked angry but otherwise indifferent, but Hana knew better. He was hurting.

"I could take a look around for you." She offered softly, only to be rewarded with a glare. He didn't need her sympathy. Instead of answering all he did was shuffle towards Sasuke's room, where Sasuke was still studying the marks. If he wasn't a somewhat level-headed Uchiha he would be bashing his head against the wall for his stupidity.

He instantly brightened when he was Hana. "Hi Hana! Where are your dogs?"

"Oh, they're with mother today, taking the day off. Poor lads have been worked to the bone with all the missions we've had this week." Hana smiled softly and ruffled the boy's hair, then turning back to the door. She furrowed her brows at the scratch marks, running he fingers along them like they have been doing all morning. She sniffed the small amount of sawdust that stuck to her fingers, and immediately pulled away. She shook her head violently, sneezing a few times. Once she straightened out she continued in a somewhat throaty voice,

"That smells strongly of animal. Fox to be specific." Itachi and Sasuke both raised a questioning eyebrow at this, trying to fathom what a fox would be doing in their house.

"How did a fox get in here?" Sasuke, always the curious one asked disbelievingly.

"Well, she could have gotten in through an open window, or door..."

"She?" Itachi had a growing suspicion and he wasn't liking it one bit.

"She reeks of pheromones. And besides..." Itachi cut her off again, not wanting to hear the rest of it. He had come to a conclusion, and he needed to act now.

"Hana, why did you come here today?" The she-wolf blinked a few times before finally remembering.

"Oh yeah, Hokage-sama wanted me to get you, he had a mission for you. But Itachi I think that this is more important I mean..."

"Then I'll get ready now." Itachi snaked off, leaving without any room for argument. Hana sighed stubbornly, running a hand through her long brown hair. She turned to Sasuke and muttered,

"Your brother is so bipolar."

He just laughed.

.

At the Hokage's office, a one Hiruzen Sarutobi was confused. Just as he was about to give Itachi Uchiha his next mission, he interrupted the old Hokage. Most of the other ANBU were shocked, the raven-haired teen was not one to question the Hokage's orders, much less speak out of term. The weasel-masked ANBU stood there for a moment, before taking a folded napkin out of his pocket and dropping it softly on the large mahogany desk and stepping back. Sarutobi opened the white napkin carfully, while Itachi's emotionless voice rang out in the quiet room, startling the occupants.

"What can you tell me about foxes and Konoha's forest inhabitants?"

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**Okay, ugh, that was the 3rd chapter, I'm not really happy with it, and I was going to make it longer, but I decided against it. Short Chapters are okay, because I update often. Now Let me know what you think with a review please, I'm too tired to beg.**


	4. That Night, 10 Years Ago

**Okay, here's chapter 4, and I just have to say *sniffle sniffle* you guys are the best. Thank you so much for your support, and also, I'm starting to think that I'm just as bipolar as Itachi, lol. I feel really hyper today, because after I talked to my good friend, Apocalyptic Lore, she reassured me that she felt the same way when she first posted her story, but after a while it got better. I'm sorry if this chapter seems rushed, I took less time on it then I would've liked too, but it hasn't been a pleasent week at school for me, esepeciallybecause it's like, 30 degrees where I live, and that's rare. Most of you in the northern states must be like, "Pffft, 30 degrees?" But that's really cold for Texas, we're used to like, 40's and up!**

**THANK YOU MY REVIEWERS: **

**EDelta88, Arcade, ToothAndClaw, devil4y, , Blue Kitsune, Pepe, Dragonzflyte, MadMonki, deathgeonous, Tachi Kagahara, Claws2, Stargazer, Imperial Mint, narachan, That's Nice, Thank you!**

**Here's Chapter 4, OH! And also, please excuse my grammer mistakes, I only have this Document Manager to work with, no Word!!! *spazzes out, starts crying* **

**Also, BEWARE! THERE ARE FLASHBACKS IN THIS, ACK! But they're short and hopefully you'll like them, they have to do with Naru and The #1 sexiest Jounin in all of Konoha, *wink*.**

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Naruto was never one for patience. It was because of this she found herself bored, snuggling in the fiery leaves of a fallen tree. She stroked the truck absentmindedly, hoping to find some comfort in the silvery smooth wood. It did nothing but continue to bore her, so she looked up into the sky, it was still morning, and she found herself letting out a frustrated sigh and falling back into the leaves. Why did it seem that every time you were waiting for someone time went by slower?

"_Kaa-san? Are you there?"_

"**Of course Naru-chan. Where else would I be?"**

"_Gomen, you know I can't help it."_

"**Is there something on your mind?"**

"_Why do I doubt myself so much?"_

"**Is this about that male?"**

"_Yes, you know it is. I feel overly…"_

"**Impatient?"**

"_Yes. Impatient. Why?"_

"**It's only human to doubt yourself Naru-chan**.**"**

"_But I'm not human. I'm a hanyou."_

"**You are still a human kit. Being part demon now doesn't change who you were before."**

"_I'm not human. I'm just not!"_

"**Very well. If you believe so."**

Naruto bit her lip. She refused to acknowledge her human self. She was treated as a demon, raised by a demon as a demon, and was even part demon. The fox-girl saw herself as a demon, and nothing was going to change that for her.

She still wondered why she felt so much doubt and uncertainty. Her Kaa-san taught her that demons always head confidence in themselves, and they never acted unless they were sure. Naruto wasn't exactly sure she knew what she was doing that night, but if she doubted herself so much now, then it might not have been the right choice. Her hand unconsciously flew up to her neck and fingered the necklace gently. The blonde curled up closer to the tree as a breeze flew by, sending shivers down her bare body. It was cold; colder than usual.

.

Hiruzen sighed, a low throaty sound that told of his age. He really didn't want to deal with this right now, and what he meant by "this" was a young Uchiha genius and buried memories that were re-surfacing. Said teen was standing static and staring at the old Hokage through his porcelain weasel mask, looking more like a stubborn statue then a person. A very, very stubborn statue indeed.

The old man had already tried dismissing the weasel and his other teammates, but all that did was raise questions between all the ANBU, who had complied with the act, and strengthened the teen's resolve. He puffed a few times on his pipe, and then examined the red piece of fur. It was definitely _hers_, but that was a quite a trip down memory lane. He could almost hear the shouts of the little girl in his ears, from the peals of laughter to the sobs of torment. Itachi raised an eyebrow behind his mask at the Hokage's sudden damp mood, but continued waiting patiently for his answer.

"Well Hokage-sama?" It was Hiruzenturn to raise an eyebrow at the teen's blunt and semi-disrespectful question. The boy was incredibly persistent.

"Well Itachi, there's not much I can tell you really." Itachi stiffed at the sound of his name being said when he was still in his ANBU state; then visibly relaxed and straighten out.

"What do you mean?"

"It is forbidden to speak of." This shocked the teen; he was certainly not expecting that answer. The Hokage let this statement sink in, and when he spoke again his voice was stern and filled with wisdom. "Certain events took place many years ago in this village, those of which I'm not at liberty to say. In an answer to your question, I advise you to confront someone more informed of it than I am."

"You just told me it was forbidden." The Hokage chuckled; a dark sad one.

"Since when has this village ever listened to a word I say? That night sixteen years ago, I passed a law, which nearly every single villager broke. On the same night ten years ago, I passed another law, forbidding anyone to speak of the events that occurred that night. I still hear rumors to this day." The Hokage looked up into Itachi's eyes shaking his head disbelievingly. "The villagers can break my laws as they please, but I will be persecuted if I even think about it." Itachi stood in the heavy silence for a moment, and then his voice rang out in the room, echoing.

"Who should I ask?" The old man sighed again, and he leaned back in his chair.

"Ask your old captain." Itachi mentally questioned this choice, and as if the Hokage could read his mind, "He was there the day."

"And you were not?"

"Not necessarily, no. I was... late."

Itachi swiftly turned and dismissed himself, bent on tracking down his retired leader. Leaving Hiruzen to his own thoughts, the old man wondered to himself what he had gotten into. As he rubbed his eyes, he remembered what he had called the Weasel up for in the first place. His gaze trailed down to the unassigned mission lying on the desk, and he groaned.

.

Kakashi was minding his own business, reading his beloved Icha Icha book intently. He had re-read the smut so many times he had lost count. It was days like this when he enjoyed being retired, although he was going to be placed as a jounin sensei this year. He shifted more comfortably in his bed, and just as he was getting to the good part, he snapped his book shut uncharacteristically, plopping in down on his bed and leaning back.

"Oh what ever could the mighty Uchiha need at this time?" He drawled out lazily, turning slightly to the window to stare at said Uchiha with a half-lidded eye. Itachi felt another tick mark appear on his forehead, why did everyone he knew insist on mocking him like that? He was currently crouching on the window sill of Kakashi's bedroom, where said jounin was sprawled out across his bed, enjoying his day off. Itachi jumped into the room and shut the window softly, turning back to Kakashi. Kakashi merely raised an eyebrow at this behavior, initiating a staring contest with the porcelain mask the teen still had on. After a few moments of silence, he spoke.

"I'm in need of information."

"Information? Really?" Kakashi was surprised; the teen rarely asked anyone any questions regarding information, unless it was background information, which he usually found out himself. The teen nodded and sat in a chair on the other side the room, getting himself ready for a long explanation. The silver haired man blinked a few times then motioned for the teen to continue.

"I've confronted the Hokage about this, but he sent me to ask my old captain instead." Itachi reached into his back pocket and pulled out the folded up napkin and held it out so the man could take it. Kakashi carefully un-wrapped the napkin and furrowed his eyebrows at the piece of fur lying neatly in the middle. He twirled the fur between his thumb and finger, feeling the rough yet soft texture. It was so familiar to him, where had he felt this before? His eyes widened in recognition, staring back at the Uchiha with a glare.

"Where did you get this?" He growled. Itachi was slightly taken aback, but he didn't show it.

"I need you to tell me what happened ten years ago that had to do with that." The silver-haired jounin sighed, folding the napkin back gently.

"Why do you need to know?" Itachi was silent, and then he responded.

"It's important; I'll tell you if you tell me first." Kakashi gave him a calculating look, before sighing and sitting back on his bed. He eyed the napkin in his hands with a glassy-eyed look, as if experiencing a flash back. After a while a slight movement appeared underneath his mask, signaling that he was gnawing on his lips.

"I was a little younger than you at the time, being the new in ANBU. I was frequently sent to patrol the village because of my lack of experience. I often saw my fellow teammates following a person around; a small girl, seemingly harmless. My teammates hated the job they had, and I never knew why. One day I offered to take their shift for them, and they laughed and said they wouldn't put this burden on anyone else."

FLASHBACK-

_"Hokage-sama." A young Kakashi bowed, no older than fourteen years of age. His teammate's dark laughter was still ringing in his ears, confusing him greatly._

_"Yes Dog?" Hiruzen address him, smiling._

_"I was actually wondering, if I could have the role of guarding the little girl, the blonde one my teammates look after." He stuttered out sheepishly. Hiruzen looked shocked, eyes wide and face pale._

_"What brought this up?" He asked slowly, more of a demand than a question._

_"Well, they never seem happy about it. I asked them earlier today and they mentioned 'they wouldn't put their burden on anyone'. What does that mean, Hokage-sama?"_

_"The girl is a Jinchuuriki, Dog." The Hokage's blunt statement shocked the silver haired teen to the core. Hiruzen himself looked saddened at this fact, with his old eyes clouded over in sympathy. "Would you still take the job if you knew that fact?" It took a moment for Kakashi, but when he did, the Hokage was quite shocked._

-END

"After a year, the girl and I, Naruto, became close. I tried to help her as much as I could, but there wasn't much I could do. She even started calling me Kaka-nii. She was so sweet, especially for one who had to deal with the horrible treatment of the villagers. I didn't go on any missions because I was guarding her, so my teammates went without me, until that day." Kakashi's smooth voice suddenly took on a darker undertone, moving on to a deeper subject. "My teammates needed me. I had to leave. I couldn't abandon them."

FLASHBACK –

_"Kaka-nii, don't go." A little six year old girl looked up to a much taller ANBU teenager, a porcelain dog mask adoring his face. He crouched down to her level and cupped her cheek, wiping away a few tears with his palm._

_"I'm sorry Naru-chan. I have to go, I can't leave my team can I?" She looked down and sniffled, shutting her deep blue eyes tightly. Her lip started trembling, so she bit down on it to keep it still. Kakashi looked at the little girl, tucking a long strand of blonde hair behind her pointy ears and kissing her forehead gently. "I'll try to be back as soon as I can, okay?"_

_Naruto didn't respond, she didn't think she could. The fox girl hugged the teen tightly, before nodding and letting go. He stepped back a little and leaped out her window, into the cold inky blackness of night. Naruto ran up and clutched the window sill tightly, her shoulders slumping._

-END

"Both my teammates died that night. There was nothing I could do but to head home and hope little Naruto was okay."

FLASHBACK-

_Kakashi ran towards the old run-down building the girl he considered as his little sister lived in, jumping from rooftop to rooftop. As he got closer he noticed the window he always told her to close when he wasn't there was smashed open. His heart raced in his chest as he felt bile rise up in the back of his throat._

_His heart crumbled into dust as he saw the interior of the home, with furniture broken and blood oozing down the walls and across the floor. The Hokage and a large amount of ANBU littered the unit, inspecting the room's damage and such. He stumbled up to the Hokage with his head down, his eyes glued to the fresh dark liquid stains painting the room; he nearly vomited right there. Shinobi were trained to the scent and sight of blood, always breathing it in like air and gazing upon it as merely red water. But the thought of this being her blood, Naruto's blood, sickened him immensely._

_"Kakashi." Hiruzen spoke, loud and clear. Kakashi remain static, frozen in place. He uttered just a few words that the Hokage barley caught._

_"Where is she?" Hiruzen sighed depressingly, looking down to the ground also and shaking his head. "We don't know." Kakashi's head snapped up at this, nearly giving him a whiplash._

_"What do you mean you don't know?" He shouted, fists balling up in anger. The rest of the ANBU looked at their dog masked comrade, shocked that he would show such disrespect to their leader. One of the members, a brave fool just chuckled nervously and spoke out._

_"Relax Dog; just be glad _it's _gone now." The man barely had time to react before he was sent flying through the broken window with shattered ribs courtesy of a kick from Kakashi. Just as he was about to leap after him to maim the idiot, he was held back by the rest of the ANBU through Hiruzen's command. The old man stepped in front of Kakashi, who was trying to rip through the many arms holding him in place._

_"Kakashi, calm down." He said quietly, looking for something to say in order to calm the teen's nerves._

_"Calm down? How can you expect him to calm down? My imouto was just attacked, maybe even murdered, and you don't even know where she is? Damn it!" At the last outburst, Kakashi slumped forward and let out a strangled sob._

_"We don't think she's dead, Kakashi. Just… gone." The Hokage dare not say he was sorry, for fear of causing another outburst from the teen. Said teen just continued to sob, sob for his father, sob for his old Gennin team, sob for his late ANBU squad and mostly of all, sob for his missing little sister. He clutched his hands aimlessly on the floor, having being let go by his team as soon as the water works sprung up. The blood and scattered chunks of red fur became plastered to his gloves, making him feel as if he were the attacker, as if he was the cause of it._

_Hiruzen was also crying, but he let out no noise, the only sign being the wet streaks down his face. He looked out the window and up into the night sky, mentally cursing himself over and over, along with cursing the day, the night this tragedy occurred._

_October 10._

END-

Kakashi finished his tale, looking as down cast as ever. Itachi felt his heart go out to the little girl and his old captain, as strange as it may seem. On the outside he was as stotic as ever, emotionless except for the stiffness of his body, something that might have given away his feelings. He reviewed the story in his head, going over every detail Kakashi had layed out to him. Eyebrows slightly furrowing behind his mask, he asked one simple, final question to the Jounin.

"Did you ever get an idea as to where she might have gone?" This was all he needed to complete his quest for information, and with the right answer, he could finally come to his conclusion.

"With the rumors around here about "The Demon" living in the forests, we all thought that could've been her, after all, it would only seem like a natural place for her to go. We've never heard of her since, but I have a feeling she's still out there, alive." Kakashi sat up straighter, and looked up at the ceiling, exhaling slowly to release some pressure in his chest. He blinked tiredly; it had been awhile since he had opened up to someone, but he felt like he could trust the quiet Uchiha boy. And besides, he felt much better, like a load had been taken off his chest. "So, are you going to tell me why you needed to know all of this so badly?" Itachi stood and made his way to the window, prying it open before looking back.

"I have a feeling she's out there, in the forest, and she has something of mine." Kakashi's eye widened considerably, before it took on a sad yet sparkly quality, like the thought brought him both happiness and sadness.

"That's Naruto for you, always a trickster and thief." This was said as barely a whisper after Itachi had jumped out the window. Kakashi looked down at the napkin still in his hands, and mentally thanked whatever god was out there for letting the weasel forget the strand at his house. Or maybe the boy just decided to let him keep it out of the kindness of his heart. This thought ran through his head a few times before he smirked. It was definitely one of them, that's for sure.

.

Itachi was thinking over the story intently, letting every word sink in. He no longer had any doubt that the thief was this Jinchuuriki girl, Naruto. The raven haired teen faintly recalled his parents talking about a sort of demon in the village, but he was too young to understand. All he knew was that demons were bad, and he needed to stay away from them. The irony of the situation he was in did not escape him, the fact that he always believed he needed to avoid demons at all costs when now he was practically hunting one down.

Dodging several tree branches and trunks, he weaved into the forests he had so many times before; this time with a purpose. As strange as the sensation was for him, he felt great sympathy for the girl, but she had taken his necklace, and no one was allowed to touch his belongings. Especially not his necklace. He suddenly came to a halt and veered off in another direction, following the sounds of splashing he heard.

.

Naruto was indeed in a river that passed through the forest, doing her best to wash the dirt out of her skin. Her Kaa-san had taught her to do this early on in her forest life, stating that even with her demonic influence, being dirty and covered in mud could result in her getting some sort of virus or illness, for humans were weaker than most demons immune-system wise. The fox girl hated to "bathe" in the river, she always felt so… human doing it. Though even if she wouldn't admit it, she was glad her Kaa-san taught her many things that she could do as person, and not an animal.

She ran her fingers through her long, golden hair that stuck to her head as the water weighed it down. It only went down to her lower back and had somewhat rough edges, considering she had to shear it with a sharp rock every time it got too long. Examining a strand of the wet mess, she decided it was just about time she should've cut it, but seeing as the weather was getting colder, it might not be the best idea. Her fluffy red tail floated in the water freely, swishing every now and then. Suddenly, her ears pricked up and the furs on the tail stood on the edge. She turned around at a forty-five, looking over her shoulder at the intruder.

"There it is." An emotionless, silky voice rang out, causing her to involuntarily shiver. Tension soon filled the air, as she bit her lip and stared at the intruder, his masked face glued onto the necklace around her neck, which she had forgotten to take off to "bathe". Then it hit her.

Dear lord, this was the elder Uchiha boy.

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**Okay, so you know the drill, if you love me, you'll review. Please? I'm not going to beg as much anymore, but I would still love reviews. Reviews are good for your soul *nods* yes.**


	5. Peanut Butter

**Yay! So okay, I'm back from a tiring and over-flowing week break. First you see, I was exhausted and decided not too update any of my stories. Second, I was taken over by the need to write Yaoi One-Shots! Third, I had a Winterguard competition this weekend, which we won second in! w00t! So yeah... this chapter is short and a little filler-ish, just to get me back on track. The next chapter is where things will definately pick up, and you will start seeing MUCH longer chapters.**

**THANK YOU MY REVIEWERS: **

**Fk306 animelover, wolfhowlsatmidnight, Arcade, Secondhand Symphony, ehanda, D. Akisira R.T.M.S, ToothAndCLaw, Berserkerofhell, Mekon-chan, blackspiritfire, That's Nice, Dragonzflyte, Stargazer, deathgeonous, schnookums, MadMonki, narachan. **

**Also BIG THANKZ To: Dragonzflyte, for editin' mah story... *insert Texan accent here* And yes, I love Orange Juice and I am feeling better, thank you for asking^_^**

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Tip-Tap-Tip Tip-Tap…

The occasional thunk on the floor was the only other thing to be heard in the dark hallways. The sound grew louder as it approached a person in the far corner of the dead end, snapping against the solid ground one last time. The person remained still, seemingly nothing more than an old statue.

"What do you make of this?" The statue voiced a deep smooth sound.

"I'm not sure. Would this interfere with…?" another voice said, raspy and cracked. The person shifted slightly, putting their weight on one foot.

"Your connections with the boy could finally prove to be useful."

"Is that so?" The masculine voice brought his lips together in a tight smirk, trying his best not to grin insanely.

.

He had finally found it. It was there, sitting peacefully around a smooth, tanned neck. Itachi wasn't sure to be glad that it was safe from harm, or angry at the female for taking it.

The Weasel forced his eyes to be glued to the girl's neck, for fear of looking anywhere else on her body. He bit his lip behind his mask, willing himself to look away, but couldn't. If he did…

"Do you need something?" A clear, crisp voice rang through the clearing, throwing his train of thought off. His head snapped up to meet a pair of impossibly blue eyes, looking straight at him with amusement and a hint of nervousness. Itachi got a hold of himself quickly, steeling his resolve.

"Actually, I do." The girl shook her long golden hair out and slithered out of the river, shaking slightly. She took soft footsteps towards him; cautious one-foot-in-front-of-the-other steps that flowed gracefully together. She tilted her head in confusion when she was about an arms-length away from him, putting a hand cutely over her mouth.

"You wouldn't happen to be the Uchiha boy would you?" Itachi nearly growled.

"As a matter of fact, I am." The fox-girl smirked, leaning in uncomfortably close to him. She reached up a hand to her neck and fingered the necklace gently, twirling it between her clawed pointer finger and thumb.

"I supposed you're here for this?" Itachi was beginning to become aggravated, thanking whatever god was out there for his mask. He studied the girl's confident face for a moment, eyes lingering on the whisker marks too long. Glancing down, he saw her hand tremble. She was nervous! He reached out and grabbed her wrist quickly, startling her.

"Why do you have this?" Naruto gulped, trying to move back. She wasn't expecting the boy to be forceful. Her eyebrows furrowed, trying to find a way out of this.

"What's the problem with having it?" She asked, stuttering slightly. Itachi tightened his grip on her hand, making her wince a bit.

"It's mine." He nearly growled, doing his best to keep a straight face. Naruto pursed her lips, red in the face. She jerked back quickly and scratched her claws across his mask. Itachi stumbled back, clutching said mask in surprise. Naruto fell, landing on her backside. She scrambled up, glaring at the teen and rubbing her sore wrist.

"I don't care if it's yours. It's mine now." With that said, the Weasel-boy lunged for her swiftly; Naruto barely dodged. She turned and darted away into the trees, Itachi right on her heels. He couldn't let the girl get away. She had his necklace, and that necklace meant more to him than anything. If he had to chase a nude fox-girl through the forest just to get it, so be it.

.

Sasuke was just arriving home from the academy, tired and sweaty. He shuffled into the home, revelling in the sweet sensation of being home. He was exhausted wanting nothing more than to lay down in the peace and quiet and rest. He leaned over and flopped into the couch, sighing contently.

"Ooh Sasuke! You're out of peanut butter!" A loud yell erupted from the kitchen, nearly startling Sasuke to the point of wetting his pants.

"Hana? You're still here?" He asked incredulously, peering over the rim of the sofa. He was met with the sight of Hana leaning against said rim, slowly pulling a spoon out of her mouth that had the remains of peanut butter sticking to it. She bobbed her head up and down, running her tongue along the insides of her cheeks and gums noisily; much like a dog would if it were to eat peanut butter. "Yup. And I'm also stealing your peanut butter, of which apparently, you have none left." Sasuke felt a tick mark appear on his head.

"That's because you obviously ate it all!" He glared, pointing an accusing finger at her. She looked surprised for a moment, before plopping down on the couch next to him.

"Have you seen your brother today after he left?"

"No. Why?"

"I'm his teammate, and unless he was taking a solo mission, I would've been called into the office too."

"Hey… that's right. You've been here all day haven't you?" Hana nodded, still licking the spoon.

"I wonder where he is…" She trailed off, thoughts wandering. "I might just go to the Hokage's office to find out." She stood, stretching. "Bye Sasuke, don't forget to pick up peanut butter later!"

"No! I'm not picking up more peanut butter just so you can devour it all!"

.

If Hana and Sasuke knew that Itachi was currently running through the forest, chasing a nude jinchuuriki, they would probably be laughing their asses off. Itachi himself found the situation ludicrous, and he was the one in it! The girl knew many tricks and twists that the teen didn't even know was there, which made following her difficult. Itachi was never one for tracking, though he had to admit he partially admired the girl's talent, considering she had grown up in said forest.

He was gaining on her, being able to spot flashes of her or gold in front of him sometimes, throwing kunai always helped.

.

Naruto jumped as she dodged another kunai. Damn! She never knew he would be so violent. She usually wasn't afraid of weapons, but the accuracy of the hits was astonishing. He was gaining on her, and frankly, it scared her. She thought she was ready to confront him, but something about him made her nervous, unsure. Maybe he had this affect on everyone?

The fox-girl nearly fell over when she felt a sharp sting in her forearm. Looking over, her eyes widened when she saw the cut. She slowed down immensely, not meaning to, which allowed the raven-haired teen to catch up to her. He lunged, in which she tried to dodge awkwardly, causing them to collapse over each other and fall to the ground. They fell with a thud, a grunt escaping the boy's lips as his back hit the forest floor, hard.

Naruto pushed herself up, having landed on the weasel. She stared into his mask intently, blushing at their position.

.

Itachi was trying his best not to freak out, no matter how strange it might sound. Here he was, with a fox-girl perched over him in a compromising position, and she was definitely naked. He wasn't sure what to do, so he did what came naturally to him. Dominance. He forced his head up, grabbed her arms, and pushed her over, successfully pinning her under him. She was shocked, not moving a muscle.

"Give it." He growled, holding her wrists on either side of her head. She narrowed her eyes angrily, cheeks flushed. He couldn't help but think she looked cute like that, but quickly dismissed the thought.

"Well, it sure did get you here didn't it?" She huffed, smirking. Itachi stayed silent for awhile, not wanting to voice his confusion. She shuffled under him, trying to break free. He tightened his hands around her wrists, pushing her further down into the dirt.

"What do you mean?" He asked, giving up. She struggled some more than laid limp, stretching her head up closer to his. She glared at him, whispering something. He leaned in closer to hear, when suddenly he felt a sharp pain below his abdomen. He quickly let go of her and fell over to his side, curling up. Itachi saw Naruto get up and walk past him, crouching down to his level. The raven haired boy forced his eyes to look up at her face and not any lower; he was a man of morals. His necklace hung teasingly in front of his face, swinging back and forth slightly.

"Hmph. Just try to get it now, boy." The fox-girl's voice rang out, snatching the necklace back into her hands and darting off.

Itachi ground his teeth. First the girl had the nerve to steal his precious necklace, and then she kneed him in a place where the sun don't shine and walked off with said necklace. When he got his hands on her, he was going to wring her neck.

.

"This is crazy!"

"You can't possibly think that that is a good idea!"

"Are you trying to curse us?"

Danzo took every blow and hit from the civilian council, standing as still as a statue. He waited for them to calm down before speaking.

"Think of the possibilities. We were blind before but this could be our chance to seize the opportunity to strengthen our home!" The civilians were confused, a select few still outraged.

"I'm not too sure where you're going with this, Danzo." Inoichi stated. The

Yamanaka clan head looked around at the other shinobi heads, which also looked uncertain.

"Just look at what Suna did. They should be a prime example."

"Suna created a monster." Shikaku Nara spoke from his place resting to the tabletop.

"An efficient monster. And we wouldn't be making the same mistake they did." The rest of the people in the room raised their eyebrows at this. "They gave little to no room for humanity. This could benefit Konoha in ways you couldn't even begin to understand."

A few scattered people started to nod their heads, seeing the old man's point. Muttering erupted around the room, everybody leaning to the person next to them and discussing.

"How do you expect to make this work?" A civilian called.

"It'll warm up to us. Once we gain its trust, it'll be putty in our hands."

Most of the civilians nodded at this, accepting the proposition. Most of the Shinobi heads were undecided, a few agreeing and a few not.

"This doesn't sound right." Tsume Inuzuka growled suspiciously, scrunching up her nose.

"I agree. You can't do this Danzo." Hiruzen stood up, slamming his hands on his desk. He cursed Danzo in as many ways possible in his head for finding out about Itachi's conversation with him.

"I think that's up to the council, don't you?" With a show of hands, it was decided. Hiruzen sat back, a painful aching in his chest. "Over-ruled."

"It's decided then. Konoha will retrieve it's jinchuuriki for the greater good." The old Hokage said with a strangled tone. Some of the civilians looked unsure of their decision, while Danzo mentally smirked.

_Perfect._

.

Outside the room, with her back against the wall, a shocked Hana gasped.

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**If you love me and you know it leave reviews~ If you love me and you know it leave reviews~ XD **

**IMPORTANT: Can anybody guess who were the two people talking in the begining? I want to see how many people know. ;)**


	6. Nobody Knows What They've Done Anymore

**W00t Chapter 6 is OUT! Probably my longest chapter, yet also probably the one I'm least happy with. ... Aww who am I kidding? I probably hate everything I spew out into fanfiction. When I actually post something that I like, THEN you should be worried. I've been sick lately, so I've gotten a bunch of new ideas for multi-chapter fics, but I probably won't do anything with them until I can develop them more... Well I wanted to put more into this chapter, but it didn't seem like it would really "fit". It's kind of angsty in this little puppy, with a slightly OOC Hana, but keep in mind the situtation she's in. I would panic too. And ahhh... I've gotten some more one-shots out... and people really seem to like the Shikamaru/Kiba one, so you might want to check that out if you're bored... and ahh... I think that's it... o_O**

**Oh and no one really guessed who the two people were, one of them is OBVIOUS and most people already guessed him, but the other person is NOT one of the old people from the council. Nope. Only one person guessed them, but they guessed him with another guy that wasn't Danzo, so yeah...**

**THANK YOU MY REVIEWERS:**

**Tachi Kagahara, MadMonki, Arcade, Kay, Dragonzflyte, ToothandClaw, BlackCatHikari, librarycat9, Fk306 animelover, That's Nice, RogueNya, EDelta88, Mekon-chan, S, Fire Dolphin.**

**Big THANKS: Dragon (Hope you get well soon, hun ^_^) **

**On with the show!**

* * *

"Itachi? Itachi?! Damn it Uchiha, open the door!"

Itachi woke rather rudely to a loud, obnoxious banging sound on his front door. The knocking was accompanied by frenzied yell and shouting, making the noise reverberate through the whole house. He sleepily shuffled to the door, yanking the piece of wood nearly off the hinges.

"What?" He snapped, looking at his friends with bleary eyes. Hana was panting heavily, trembling slightly. She huffed and pushed through him and showed herself inside, planting her feet in front of him. "Do you have any idea what time it is?" He snapped again, closing the door. It was nearly three in the morning, and the weasel was exhausted.

"This is more important." She panted her hands on his shoulders and looked up to him in the eye; the most serious expression he had ever seen on her face. "Please, don't tell me it's true."

"What are you accusing me of?" She sighed, gripping his shoulder tighter.

"Don't tell me you tracked the jinchuuriki down today."

FLASHBACK-

"_I've come across some… interesting information today." Hana heard an old voice croak loudly on the other side of the wall. She pressed forward, not wanting to eavesdrop on the council meeting. She had gone there to speak with the Hokage, but he was preoccupied. Curse those over-sensitive ears._

"_It seems as if one of our ANBU has discovered that our old demon is still alive, in the woods." There was uproar, several council members shouting subliminal phrases and such. The shouting died down after awhile, lowering to angry grumbling._

_Hana couldn't tell what happened, and her curiosity got the best of her. Leaning against the wall casually, she pressed her head back and crossed her arms, trying to seem like she was just resting or waiting. _

"_Danzo, how did you know this information before I did?" The Hokage spoke, sternly and steadily. _

_._

_On the inside, the old man was panicking. Did Danzo know of the conversation he had with Itachi earlier? By the look on the old war hawk's face, he did. Danzo was smirking ever-so slightly, giving the Hokage an I-know-your-secret look. _

"_You were busy talking to one of your other ANBU at the time." Hiruzen's eyes narrowed, liar. _

"_Where is this going, Danzo?" A civilian asked, still infuriated. Danzo stood from his seat, grabbing his old cane and walking slowly to the center of the room. The tension was thick, the sounds of the cane echoing. _

"_Think what this could mean for Konoha. We've tried this before haven't we? The 'tool', the 'ultimate weapon'- we could bring the jinchuuriki back!" _

"_Bring that demon back here?"_

"_This is crazy!"_

"_You can't possibly think that that is a good idea!"_

"_Are you trying to curse us?"_

END-

"Wait." The Uchiha boy held up a hand to silence the she wolf. She was stressed, running a sweaty hand through her hair regularly. "You're trying to tell me they want to bring the girl back?"

"Yes! And they're going to use her as a weapon! This is bad! You know that it always backfires on them! And this isn't just anyone, this is… this is… a jinchuuriki! It's not something they should be messing with!" She breathed, it all coming out in a rush.

Itachi furrowed his eyebrows, wiping some of the sleep from his eyes. What was Danzo thinking? He too cursed the man over and over in his head, trying to figure what the man was planning. Why did Danzo suddenly decide to go after Naruto? He was brought out of his thoughts by Hana, who was shaking his shoulders again.

"Itachi! What am I going to do?! This is big! I-I don't think I was supposed to listen in… I think my mom knows I did. What is she going to say? I don't know what to do!" Hana was hyperventilating at this point, a hand placed on her chest in a weak attempt to steady her breathing. Itachi was shocked to say the least, seeing Hana break down. She was always so strong, but… she was helpless like this.

He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her.

"Hana calm down. When did you hear all this?" She looked up at him, big brown eyes watering.

"Uh- earlier today, around the afternoon I think. I was going to ask you about it sooner… but time escaped me. I had to figure this out for myself first. I just… I mean… they want to bring the demon back! Who knows what kind of things will happen?!"

Itachi snatched his hand from her like she was on fire, glaring. Hana tilted her head to the side, confusion evident on her face.

"She is not a demon. If anything happens at all, it's because of our actions." His voice was cold and laced with venom. He could remember all the things Kakashi had told him, as well as the pain and suffering reflected on the jounin's face. Hana gulped, sweating slightly from fear. She nodded, once, then twice and sat herself on the couch. The silence was awkward then, filled with tension.

"What are you going to do?" Her small voice broke the quiet, dark room.

.

"What in hell's name did I ever do?!" A certain fox girl cursed, darting through the trees. It was all around her; the rustles and thumps echoing. She was covered in bruises and scratches, a sign of her struggle to escape the shinobi that were hunting her down like an animal.

They came in the early morning, the dew and fog still latched around and on the ground and sun just peeking over the clouds. It was even colder this morning, the wind blistering as it cut against her warm skin. They wanted her to come with her, but she refused.

That's when they resorted to force.

Ducking under a fallen tree, she caught her breath, panting heavily. This was insane! First that Uchiha boy chases her down, and now these fools? There had to be at least ten or fifteen of them, there was no way she could outrun them forever.

"**See what you got us into? I told you not to meddle with that boy." **

"_Not now Kaa-san! What do you think they want?"_

"**Probably to torture you and then mount you on a wall."**

"_That's a nice thought…"_

"**I tried to tell you to stay away from them! But no! You had to get involved!" **

"_I don't need this! And besides, you were the one who wouldn't stop teasing me yesterday!"_

"**Well, when an attractive boy is perched over you, you're not supposed to knee him."**

"_I had to get him off me somehow! And you whispering perverted things in my head was not helping!"_

Naruto peeked over the log, scanning the area. It had become quiet suddenly, much too quiet. The cold winds and fog were both burning her nose and making it difficult to smell out the intruders. She heard a twig crack to her left, and whipping her head in the direction, she came face to face with a smooth white mask. Her eyes widened in fear, her whole body twitching to get away. A black gloved hand clamped over her mouth and another stabbed something thin into the side of her neck. She faintly heard others landing around the two, but she quickly pushed the man away with a kick to the abdomen and biting down onto the hand hard.

The blonde's vision was swimming, dotted with black. Her whole body felt lighter than air, almost surreal. Then she went numb, everything going black.

No… not again. This couldn't be happening to her again…

.

"You want me to what?" The raven-haired boy hissed, eyes narrowing dangerously. Hiruzen sighed. This wasn't going to be easy.

"Weasel, I don't want for you to do this, really I don't, but I have no choice. You're close to her age and… you made contact with her recently."

"Can't you choose someone like Kakashi-taicho? He has a history with her."

"That's exactly why she can't be around him. Her history with him was…very emotional. We're not sure how stable she is now." The old Hokage sighed, taking a puff of his pipe. "Weasel, you're the only one I remotely trust for the job. If I'm going to be forced to do this, I might as well choose someone I trust. Also, most of the council, including Danzo, agreed."

Itachi stiffened. Danzo approved of the choice? "No, Hokage-sama. I don't think I can. I have to go on missions and Sasuke needs someone to watch him-"

"Itachi, please."

Itachi sighed, seeing no point in arguing with the man. He would have to be careful, but who knows? He hasn't been contacted by _him_ for awhile now… maybe _he_ just wouldn't bother him anymore. Apparently, it had already been two days since Naruto was captured by them, unconscious. Nobody knew yet of the holding of the demon, but the Hokage had come to him personally. Itachi was unsure if accepting was a good idea, but selfishly he remembered he still had a bone to pick with said jinchuuriki.

"Weasel?" The Hokage asked again, in a pleading tone.

"I'll do it." Hiruzen sighed, relieved.

.

Naruto's eyes were especially sensitive from being out cold for so long. She vaguely realized that she was on something soft and cushiony, with something thin and warm draped over her. Her cheeks felt hot and her head ached, pounding in sync with the clacking that was growing louder and louder as it approached her. Wait… clacking?

"Heh… quite a specimen, it's she?" An old throaty voice croaked, chuckling slightly.

"Hn. Absolutely beautiful." She could practically hear the smirk in his smooth voice, such a difference from the other. Her face twitched when she felt a leather glove-clad hand brush against her cheek. Whatever they had injected her with was still numbing her weak body, making it nearly impossible to move. It was as if all the energy had been drained from her, or else the creep that was stroking her cheek in her sleep would be bleeding by now.

"Do you really think that she will be useful? She doesn't look like she could do much…" The raspy voice trailed off, shuffling towards her.

"She is a jinchuuriki. She is nothing but useful."

"Can you believe they actually wanted the boy to watch her?" Laughter was heard.

"As I said, everything will fall into place, as it should." The hand abruptly pulled away, leaving an uncomfortable sensation on the fox girl's skin. She would have to wash that thoroughly later. "People will be here soon."

A few moments later, Naruto found herself alone in the room once again. What had just taken place confused and frightened her, but there was still nothing she could do. Her eyes fluttered open, wincing when the bright lights assaulted her vision. With her neck sore and stiff, she looked around, noticing the white room. What was this? She couldn't recall a room like this from her childhood. The door across from her clicked open, an old wrinkly hand on the knob. She struggled to move, but soon realized that along with the heavy sedatives they gave her, they also tied her down to the bed. She shut her eyes tightly, trying to wish this whole situation away. Being tied up… it reminded her to much of what happened all those years ago. This isn't what she wanted!

"Naruto? Please look at me Naruto." A familiar voice called to her; warm and comforting. Naruto cracked one eye open, ears twitching at the sound. What she saw shocked her to the core.

"Jii-san?" She whispered, seeing the sad smile on the old man's face. He nodded, walking closer to her. He stopped by her bedside and looked down at her with heavy eyes. He sighed, swiping his hand slowly over his face and rubbing his eyes.

"I'm so sorry Naruto; this isn't what I wanted to happen to you." Naruto was confused, looking around the room, there was only one other person in the room.

Oh good god.

"You." She gasped, startled.

"Yes, me." He snapped back, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"You did this!" She accused, struggling to snap out of the bonds and maul the Uchiha.

"He didn't have anything to do with it, Naruto. Please hear me out." Hiruzen sighed, sitting in the seat conveniently place next to the bed. "You have to stay in the village from now on."

"Why? Why can't I stay in the forest? I don't want to stay here." She whimpered, feeling her claustrophobia kick in.

"You have to Naruto. It was decided by the council." Her blue eyes narrowed.

"Why should I listen to them? They never gave a crap about me before."

"Naruto." Hiruzen stated sternly, fighting an internal battle of whether to tell the blonde the truth or not. "This isn't something I decided. They want you back, and we found you. They're not going to let you out of their sight. You'll probably be monitored 24/7."

"But why- why do they need me?" She whispered innocently, turning away from him.

Hiruzen couldn't say more, no matter how much he wanted to.

"Are you going to stay?"

"No."

"Then we'll have to resort to force." The old man sighed, turning to Itachi.

The boy nodded, moving closer to other side of the bed. Naruto watched him warily, stealing panicked glances at her "grandfather".

"I'm going to be your guard from now on. You'll be staying with me, understand?" Naruto's face scrunched up in dislike, her tail weaving itself out from under the bonds. She opened her mouth only to be cut off by the Uchiha.

"Don't try to protest. I didn't have a say in this either, but you'll be put under house arrest until you decide you're going to cooperate."

.

"Hana, please listen to me."

"I can't believe you…" Hana turned away from her mother, angry and confused. "How could you do that? How is it best if you bring her back into the village?! It'll only create havoc!"

"Hana, the girl is not a demon! You have to listen to me!" Tsume growled, growing frustrated with her daughter's stubborn behaviour.

"I'm not calling her a demon! She might not be a demon now, but I'm talking about what she's going to become if you decide to turn her into a weapon like you said you guys would! Do you really think that she'll turn out differently from how Suna's jinchuuriki did just because she had a chance to grow up with a personality? She's been living in a forest! Who knows how civilized she is? You guys could be messing with a ticking time bomb!" The she wolf shouted, challenging her mother. She bit down on her lip hard, clenching her fists tightly. "You argued against it at first! Why did you change your mind?!"

"You're too _young _to understand!"

"At least I know what is wrong and right! Something you're too _old_ to understand! Things aren't like they were before! This whole thing is bullshit!"

"Nee-san? Kaa-san? What's going on?" A small voice called, pushing the door of the room open. A boy with messy brown hair stood there with a sad and worried look on his face, a white puppy hiding behind him and trembling.

"This isn't any of your business, Kiba!" Tsume snapped, while as Hana looked at her with a strange, repulsed look.

"Now you're just out of line! This is his business! He's part of the village, and it affects everybody!"

"Don't tell me what not to do! Girl, you are pushing it right now! I'm your mother, and you have to respect that!"

"I stopped respecting you as soon as you approved of that plan and the second you snapped at Kiba." Hana said coolly and quietly, glaring at her mother. She walked away, past a scared little brother and furious mother.

"Where do you think you're going?" Tsume growled, getting ready to chase after her daughter.

"Away from here!" She shouted, clenching her fists tighter and breaking out in a run. Tsume called after her, cursing and growling when she was ignored. Kiba looked back at his mother with disbelieving eyes, mouth agape.

"What did you do?" He whispered.

.

_Knock. Knock._

Sasuke got up from his lounging position on the couch, putting his book down. Yes, the mighty Uchiha Sasuke read books in his free time between training and school. He yawned, stretching slowly and taking his sweet time in getting up.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

The knocking was more urgent this time, causing him to grumble to himself angrily.

"I'm coming!" He called out, making his way to the door. Much like his brother, he yanked the door open with a scowl, getting ready to tell off whoever was there for interrupting his reading. That is, until he saw who it was.

"Hana? What are you-"He was cut off by the slightly taller girl lunging at him, hugging him tightly and shaking. Her three dogs slunk their way in, worrying for their master. "Hana?"

She just tightened her grip on him and whimpered, letting out a small choked sound. Sasuke felt the wetness bleeding through his shirt, before realizing that the girl was crying. He awkwardly patted the girl's back, clueless as to what to do in this situation.

"Shh… it'll be okay uh… don't worry." Hana sniffled a bit, looking at him with watery eyes.

"Can the Haimaru brothers and I stay here for a bit? I kinda can't be at home right now." She said in a relatively steady voice, but still with a begging tone. Sasuke blinked a few times, surprised.

"Well… you're Nii-san's best friend, so I doubt he'll mind…" He trailed off.

.

"Let go of me you little-"

"Would you shut your mouth and cooperate?"

"No!"

Itachi groaned, shifting the fox girl so that she was in a better position. She refused to leave the personal hospital room she was in, so he had to carry her, slung over his shoulder. The girl's front was slung over to face his back, leaving her fluffy tail to constantly whack his face. He was growing very aggravated, especially with all the noise she was making. Luckily, not many people hang around the disserted Uchiha district, so he didn't really have to worry about many people seeing her until she was ready to be revealed to the village.

The girl just wouldn't stop squirming! He even had to keep her arms and legs tied up by the wrist and ankles. He was lucky that at least this time she was forced into wearing a simple robe, it was better than nothing. But still the thought of her being completely naked underneath the robe…

"I'm serious, be quiet!" He snapped at her, who just looked over his shoulder at him and smirked. "What?"

"I got you to snap at me! You do have emotion." She had this strange smug look on her face, like she had just accomplished something. Itachi wasn't sure what to make of it, but at least the girl had shut up. She was quiet for the rest of the trip, though her tail was driving her insane. He was never gladder for ANBU masks than at that moment.

"Are you kidding me? I'm not staying there! It reeks of dog!" She scrunched up her nose, squirming to get out of his grasp. They had just approached the house, when she suddenly lashed out.

"It shouldn't smell." He stated, knocking the door open as best as he could with the jumpy fox girl in his other arm. From the corner of his eyes he saw the ANBU that were trailing the two station themselves around the house. He mentally rolled his eyes while he looked to the living room and froze.

"Hana? What are you doing here?" He stumbled onto the sight of Hana on the couch leaning over with her head buried in Sasuke's shoulder; dogs curled around their feet. She was apparently asleep, her body relaxed and limp. Sasuke raised a finger to his lips in a "hush" motion, but then dropped his jaw when he saw what was over his brother's shoulder.

Itachi sighed, again; he had been doing that a lot lately.

This was going to be hell to explain.

OMAKE-

"Are you kidding me? I'm not staying there! It reeks of dog! And… something nutty; I don't know the name for it." She scrunched up her nose, squirming to get out of his grasp. They had just approached the house, when she suddenly lashed out.

"It shouldn't smell." He stated, knocking the door open as best as he could with the jumpy fox girl in his other arm. He walked into the living room and froze.

Hana and Sasuke were sprawled out on the ground, both covered in peanut butter and Hana's dogs were lapping up the remainder of the spread that was sticking to the floor. There were at least five empty jars lying about, with butter knifes scattered around. Sasuke sat up and looked around crazily, quickly jumping to his feet and flailing his arms around.

"This isn't what it looks like!" He shouted, blushing furiously as Hana pushed herself up from the ground. Itachi quickly noticed her jacket was open more than it usually was, showing quite a bit of cleavage. She propped her head up with her elbow and looked back lazily at the elder brother.

"I had no clue that the rumors were true. Sasuke IS gay." She glanced to the shocked Naruto, and then smiled. "Oh-ho ho, but you're not gay are you, 'Tachi?" She waggled her eyebrows, motioning between Itachi and Naruto. She laughed manically when the blonde blushed and looked horrified, while she couldn't see Itachi's expression because of the mask.

"I am NOT gay!" Sasuke wailed, his face as red as a tomato.

"Then you're such a prude! I'm freaking depressed and I throw myself at you, covered in peanut butter! I mean seriously!"

Needless to say, Itachi never looked at his little brother or his best friend the same way again.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed this one, and I added an Omake... what? Don't look at me with that tone of voice(XD)! I had to! Hope you found it funny ^_^. Review... Review...**

**Speaking of Reviews, I LOVE YOU ALL!!! I mean come on! 81 reviews? That's a lot! Thank you thank you thank you! I'm so happy that all of you are interested in this story, but I have... three questions for you. **

**1) In the beginning, you guys said this story was "interesting". Is it still just "interesting", or is it better now? I'd like to think it's better, but it's your opinion that really matters to me. Please let me know :D**

**2) SasuHana? Yes or No? I've been thinking, and I've decided it would be cute, but I'm not to sure about it. There was some of it in this chapter... so yeah... **

**3) Looks like no one could FULLY figure it out. Well the two made an appearence in this chapter, so guess people! GUESS! Most of you already got one of them...**


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